Art World Superstar Rashid Johnson Buys Manhattan Town House for $9 Million

A celebrity-pedigreed town house in Manhattan’s exclusive Gramercy Park neighborhood just landed a new owner: none other than art world superstar Rashid Johnson. The five-story home measures approximately 5,800 square feet, and previously belonged to legendary rock star Ric Ocasek and two-time Sports Illustrated supermodel Paulina Porizkova (the couple split amicably in recent years, and the Cars frontman passed away in September 2019).

Johnson’s new $9 million residence was originally built in the mid-1800s but was rebuilt in 1919 to include a 750-square-foot combination living and dining room designed by renowned architect Rosario Candela, as well as unique carpeting throughout—it seems safe to assume that cheetah-print was not in style in the mid-1800s. The cavernous space features a 20-foot-high exposed beam ceiling with an entire wall of casement windows that overlook the private backyard garden. Also on the ground floor is the kitchen, which revolves around a large marble-topped wood center island, with white subway tile backsplash and black-and-white tiled flooring.

The second floor is partially open to the great room below, with three tall archways offering a peek down at the living room. It’s also where there is an entertainment room setup for a billiards table, as well as a small office area. One more floor up is where the main suite is situated. Presently, the bedroom is decked out in pink striped walls, with floral carpeting and Austrian-style shades; no doubt Johnson may make a few decorative adjustments to the space. The suite also features a private terrace, a walk-in closet, and a surprisingly cozy bathroom. There are three other bedrooms situated on the third and fourth floors, as well as a library and a top-floor home office with a vaulted glass ceiling. The subterranean level features a den, another office, a laundry room, and ample storage.

Johnson and his wife, Iranian-American artist Sheree Hovsepian, currently own a smaller Manhattan town house that they bought for $3.7 million in 2013; they have been spending much of quarantine in the Hamptons, at a property they bought in 2015 for $3.8 million and which was recently featured in Architectural Digest. 

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest